Pickles to Pittsburgh: The Sequel to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

by Judi Barrett, Ron Barrett (Illustrator)

Overview

In this charming sequel to the classic Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Kate and Henry eagerly await Grandpa's return from a vacation that his postcard says has been one of the best and most unusual ever. Thinking about that postcard Kate drifts off to sleep that night and...

"With Henry as my co-pilot..." she visits the strange land of Chewandswallow — a land characterized by massive amounts of food, immense carrots, leafy jungles of lettuce, and tuna fish sandwiches so gigantic they have to be moved by helicopter. What the people of Chewandswallow are doing with all that food is most intriguing of all. Fans of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs will applaud this return trip with its underlying message of generosity and a world community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689839290
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	11/01/2000
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Judi Barrett is the author of many beloved books for children, including the bestselling Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Pickles to Pittsburgh, Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing, and Santa from Cincinnati. She teaches art to kindergarten students at a school in her Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood.

Ron Barrett is the internationally bestselling illustrator of many books for children, including Cats Got Talent, Superhero Joe, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Pickles to Pittsburgh, Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing, and Old MacDonald Had an Apartment House. His illustrations have been honored by the Society of Illustrators and have been exhibited at The Louvre in Paris. He lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

Nearly 20 years after the publication of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs comes this droll sequel starring Kate and her brother Henry. This time, a postcard from their grandfather's peculiar vacation spot sparks Kate's dream about the oddly familiar town of Chewandswallow. Unusual weather patterns still bring showers of super-sized food to the island ("we can see dinner approaching from the west. Spaghetti and meatballs I think!"), but the citizens who fled in the first book have returned to create the Falling Food Company ("Large Food for Large and Small Countries, Free"). Ron Barrett's witty cross-hatched pen-and-ink illustrations have a quirky retro flavor (enhanced by Judi Barrett's tonal colorings); he joins in the fun with such visual puns as the marquee on the local movie theater (featuring Breakfast at Tiffany's and Babette's Feast). If the story's social consciousness seems a bit contrived ("Even with poverty and drought there's always food for everyone!"), the sheer zaniness of the concept (e.g., fried egg lilypads, birds in nests of shredded wheat, an airstrip made of bacon) makes this exuberant tall tale as much of a delight as the original. The dream-like quality ties this sequel neatly to the first book, while the broad hints that Grandpa (just in from his trip, toting colossal chocolate chip cookies as souvenirs) knows a thing or two about Chewandswallow add a delicious whiff of mystery. This return visit is a feast for the eyes and ears. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) FYI: Food drive event kits are available from the publisher.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 3-When we last visited the town of Chewandswallow in Judi Barrett's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Macmillan 1978), the food raining down from the skies had grown enormous and dangerous, so the townsfolk were forced to evacuate. In this sequel (Atheneum, 1997), a visit from grandpa, known for his tales of Chewandswallow, inspires Kate to dream of visiting the town with her brother. It has been resettled and the giant food is now being shipped all over the world, for free, to feed hungry folks. Ron Barrett's watercolor and detailed ink illustrations are scanned iconographically as this first person tall tale is read expressively by a female narrator. Sound effects abound as well as occasional light music. Different voices are used for the various characters. Both video and audio quality are excellent. It is not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this video, since it includes a brief synopsis of the original story. While this is not as compelling as the first book, it is a fun flight of fancy that children will enjoy.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

From the creators of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (1978) comes another bizarre food tale. Kate and Henry receive a postcard from their vacationing Grandpa, and the card prompts a wild dream for Kate: She and her brother fly to the land of Chewandswallow, where colossal foodstuffs rain down from the sky, and where the citizens, accustomed to the bounty, ship food to wherever there is a need for it. When Kate wakes up, it is the day that Grandpa returns home, bearing giant chocolate chip cookies, just like the ones in . . . The tale is amiable, and the line drawings captivating, but the message of generosity is laid on as thick as the peanut butter in one of Chewandswallow's gigantic sandwiches. It takes over the story, leaving it without any momentum of its own.

Kirkus Reviews